NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Islanders vs Kings (Monday, March 11)
Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Head coach Patrick Roy of the New York Islanders
Islanders vs. Kings Odds
| Islanders Odds | +125 |
| Kings Odds | -150 |
| Over / Under | 6 +105 / -125 |
Here's everything you need to know about the New York Islanders vs. Los Angeles Kings on Monday, March 11 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Two of the seven NHL teams to make coaching changes will go head-to-head on Monday as the Kings host the Islanders.
After a somewhat uneven start under Patrick Roy, the Islanders have now won six straight games and moved back into playoff position with Sunday's 6-1 win in Anaheim.
The Kings, meanwhile, are 9-5-1 since promoting Jim Hiller at the All-Star break, and they've overtaken rival Vegas for the third spot in the Pacific as a result.
Lane Lambert had seemed to be doing a bad job as Islanders bench boss this season, which made it a firm possibility that Patrick Roy could help the team find significantly better results.
Roy has leaned more heavily upon his top stars, and that's enforced tactical changes to help drive possession.
The Islanders have been more aggressive triggering in the defensive zone under Roy, which has helped reduce the amount of time spent under attack. They've been more focused on breaking out with control of the puck and spending less time on the back foot as a result.
The Islanders are now 10-5-4 since Roy took over. They've played to a 55.16 expected goals for % in that span, which ranks fourth best in the league.
Over their six-game winning streak, they own a +20 goal differential and a league-leading 62.37 expected goal percentage.
Ilya Sorokin is confirmed as the Islanders starting goaltender for this matchup. He's played to a +3.0 GSAx and .909 save % in 46 appearances this season.
The Kings have displayed better form of their own under coach Jim Hiller, and ugly performances like we saw Saturday against an excellent Stars team have been an outlier.
They have played to a 50.16 xGF% throughout his tenure with a strong record of 9-5-1. Hiller has benefitted from a return to form from Cam Talbot, as well as steady play from David Rittich. They've combined for a .911 save % over the last 16 games, but they've also benefitted from a team that's re-engaged defensively.
Hiller certainly inherited a roster that was always likely to bounce-back compared to what we saw throughout an ugly month of January. At full strength, the Kings still have one of the better blue lines in the league and some quality two-way forwards littered throughout the lineup.
Hiller has clearly jelled with Kevin Fiala, who is looking like a true offensive superstar once again.
The Kings have been battling through some significant injuries as well. Top scorer Adrian Kempe played Saturday for the first time since Feb. 26 on Saturday, registering one shot in 20 minutes of time on ice.
Mikey Anderson remains one of the more underrated defenders in hockey, and he's been sidelined since February. His status has been upgraded to day-to-day, but he is expected to remain out for this contest.
Viktor Arvidsson, meanwhile, will remain ineligible to return until March 16 at the earliest.
It is unclear if Talbot or Rittich will get the start in goal on Monday. Talbot will likely be the better of the two moving forward, and he's reclaimed the starter's role. He has also played in four straight though, which makes me lean toward the likelihood that Rittich plays tonight.
Rittich owns a +10.3 GSAx and .914 save % across 18 appearances.
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Islanders vs. Kings
Betting Pick & Prediction
Both of these teams have trended into considerably better form since their respective coaching changes, but what the Islanders are doing is still being disrespected by these betting prices. They weren't overly dominant last night in Anaheim, but they were also coasting after grabbing a 3-0 lead early.
It is a road back-to-back situation for the Islanders, but not a taxing one. They also saved their starting goaltender for this tougher matchup. The Islanders underlying results have been been excellent recently, and they are dominating on the scoreboard as well.
The Islanders should be able to make this a closely contested game in terms of chance creation. The Kings offensive play has looked stagnant for a relatively large sample, and Sorokin offers a notable edge in goal over Talbot or Rittich.
The +135 odds at ESPN BET is a good price to target the Islanders making it seven straight.
Pick: Islanders (+135 at ESPN BET) | Play to +120
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